


To Keep You Safe

by muselives



Category: The Dresden Files (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-06-19
Updated: 2009-06-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:08:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22292344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/muselives/pseuds/muselives
Summary: Harry offers to charm Murphy's necklace.
Relationships: Harry Dresden/Connie Murphy (Dresden Files - TV)
Kudos: 5





	To Keep You Safe

**Author's Note:**

> [2020-01-17 author's note] Reposted from LJ. Unedited.
> 
> [original 2009-06-19 author's note] Absolutely first _Dresden_ piece, ficcing for a new fandom always makes me nervous. Harry/Murphy UST. Spoilers through the first season. Unbetaed. TV!verse.

_"I like this necklace. My daughter gave it to me."_

"I'm up here, Harry." The wry humor cut with some annoyance suggested that Murphy didn't welcome his lowered gaze, at least not when they're supposed to be on the job. Annoyance shifted to concern and she asked, "You okay?"

His hand lifted to his shoulder and tried to rub out the knots. Working with Murphy had been sort of minefield since he got fooled by her dragon double--hell, since Boone--but the moment he knew he was in trouble was when he slammed Morgan against the wall and said out loud just how far he'd go to keep her safe. Add to that the Munzer case, the "peak emotional jolt" stunt he pulled, and the glossy he'd needlessly kept, and what he got was a very nervous feeling every time he looked at Murphy's mouth.

_"It won't happen again."_

He was actually staring at her necklace, not that it made a huge difference to her, but he'd been preoccupied with an odd train of thought. His eyes lifted now to hers and he managed a tired smile as he offered, "Yeah! Yeah, I'm fine."

She knew him better because her fingers went to the silver hoop, tracing along it nervously. Seeing him pick up personal effects from their crime scene must have put some ideas into her head about how he was using them, even if those ideas were bound to her rules, not his. She finally closed her hand over the circle, asking with just a hint of pain, "You don't need this, do you?"

"No, no," he held up his hands quickly in surrender, "No, nothing like that."

"Good." She looked away to her desk, glanced at him, then busied herself with sorting the crime scene photos again. Murphy was a strong woman but even she had her limits; he wouldn't ask more of her than she could give.

"I know it's important to you."

Why he kept throwing himself against the wall of her disbelief, he'd never know.

She didn't flinch. "Is that more magic, Dresden?"

"Observation," he countered. "It's the only one you ever wear."

"You always wear this--" Her fingers brushed over the shield bracelet on his left wrist.

A little ways down the row, a desk bulb blew out with a sharp enough _pop_ to get the attention of the handful of cops staying late tonight. Harry pulled his hand away and used it to rub his temple. How had he fallen so badly for someone he absolutely could not have?

 _It's a gift,_ a light and sarcastic voice rather like Bob's informed him. He knew it wasn't Bob himself which left him with the unpleasant realization that his own voice of reason had taken on the tone of his ghost. Perfect.

Murphy, having assessed that the explosion was not fatal or even all that personal, sank back into her chair with a heavy sigh. Her dark eyes wandered over his face and for a moment he wondered if he was a mirror of her state: haggard, distracted, ready to crawl into bed and sleep until the end of the world.

"Spit it out, Dresden." His eyes slowly found their focus as she leaned towards him. "The quicker, the better. We don't have time for this."

"You ever thought about putting a charm on that thing? 'Course not," he laughed at himself immediately, redoubling his effort to push the pressure out of his cranium with his fingertips, "Why would you? _You_ don't think like that, _I_ think like that--" He drew as deep a breath as he could manage and let it all out again. He held out his wrist and pointed to the bracelet, watching Murphy's eyes trace over the charms as he said softly, "This was my mother's. It keeps me safe--one of the reason's I wear it all the time. I just was thinking that--since you wear that necklace all the time--even if you don't believe in this stuff--maybe I could imbue it with a little something, you know?" Her eyes drifted up to his and he swallowed hard. "To keep you safe."

Slowly, probably not to torture him but still twisting a little at him all the same, Murphy drew her pointer finger over her lower lip. Her deliberation gave him enough time to play back his own words and he could almost kick himself for his desperation. There was a reason conventional wisdom taught people to screen their thoughts. Babbling to Murphy, even at her prodding, didn't seem like such a good idea all of the sudden.

She reached out and covered the bracelet with her hand. Mercifully, no more lights exploded, although he could still feel his pulse jump where her thumb brushed the inside of his wrist. Gently, she pushed his arm down. "I don't need a charm, Harry." Her mouth quirked into a shadow of her usual smile as she added, "I've got you."


End file.
